Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1291181
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 SEPTEMBER 2020 COMMERCIAL THE preview comments are in: 'Excellent! Groundbreaking! Fantastic writing, direction, act- ing. A must see. The Maltese au- dience is in for a treat.' The above were some of the re- actions among a group of people who received a link to a preview of L-Ispettur. The first episode of the new show will premiere on TVM on Monday. In all there are 10 episodes, and and the producers and creators do not intend to follow the show with any sequels. The electrifying one-hour epi- sodes are a wakeup call to Mal- tese television and are bound to raise an eyebrow or two. The show is not intended for a young audience. The fast pace, unremitting plot and brilliant grasp of the characters by all actors have finally given TVM a series to be proud of. Discussions are in progress for limited distribution in Europe. This show may be the one that will eventually break the ice. Mario Micallef stars in the lead role of the inspector. He was more than prepared for it after appearing in the same role in the Stagun Teatru Malti's produc- tion of Mario Philip Azzopardi's Trilogija Tal-Ispettur, at the Ma- noel Theatre. "I have lived with this character for four years now, and it is sad to say goodbye to Salvu Bonni- ci. He is a powerful character, steadfast in his ideas and ready to fight for the common good no matter the price," Mallia said. "Unfortunately, the price he paid for upholding what was right, despite what the law de- manded, was a tough one. Noth- ing compares to this part. I was lucky to have worked with a wonderful cast and crew who laboured under difficult circum- stances but still rendered their work with professionalism, ded- ication and passion. Of course, I cannot miss mentioning Mario Philip Azzopardi. His writing is a force to be reckoned with. The Maltese language soars un- der his pen, and his direction led us all to achieve great success. Don't miss this show on TVM every Monday for ten nights af- ter the 8pm news.' The show stars, among 64 oth- er actors, Monica Attard, Vince Pule, Charles Sammut, Renato Dimech, Jurgen Ciantar, and many others. The show was mainly shot in Valletta, but interiors were shot on sets built in the empty halls of St Luke's hospital. "Shooting on this budget is not easy," Mario Philip Azzopardi said. "What kept the produc- tion going, apart from Micheal Kissaun's stellar management, was the actors' and crew's dedi- cation. The budget of all 10 ep- isodes was less than the coffee and food budget on one episode back home in the States and Canada, still, miracles do hap- pen and this was one of them. I am glad I did it, and given a chance to work with these won- derful, talented, passionate art- ists, I'd do it again.' L-Ispettur offers a different sort of plotline than what we are accustomed to on our local TV screens. After a career spent in the corp, and barely six months away from retirement, the Inspector's past mistakes resurface to bring back unfinished business. The helter-skelter trip into the chaos brought about by the eter- nal conflict between duty, law and justice, culminates into a riveting series of events making L-Ispettur a must-see in TV dra- ma. This, the producers prom- ise, is different. Inspector Bonnici takes to the screen